Union with Christ: The Transformative Power of Salvation

I say that there is nothing perhaps in the whole range and realm of Doctrine which if properly grasped and understood gives greater Assurance greater comfort and Greater Hope than this doctrine of our Union with Christ but indeed as we shall see if we are not clear about this Doctrine we are missing in a sense what is one of the pivotal aspects of the whole doctrine of salvation. [00:04:30]

The teaching of the New Testament is that the people who are to be baptized are those who have already given evidence that they are regenerate it is believers who are baptized in the New Testament so it isn't the act of of baptism that makes them Believers it is because they are believers or are presumed to be Believers that they are baptized. [00:09:02]

What is being emphasized here is not anything that I do as a believer it is what has happened to me that incorporates me into Christ and joins me to Christ the doctrine is the doctrine of my union with Christ not something that I may do or not do well there there is the second view then others say that it means this that this baptism means that we are baptized into the sphere of Christ's influence. [00:12:25]

We are united to Christ we are in Christ we are parts of Christ as we were in Adam we are in Christ not merely influence but a union a spiritual union so that that explanation I suggest again is inadequate so we come to the fourth Prophet explanation which says that what baptism means is that we are baptized and it is a sign of our belief in the redeeming and saving efficacy of the death of Christ as a propitiation for our sins. [00:15:00]

The Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ is it is a baptism by the Holy Spirit I'm not saying baptism with the spirit I am saying baptism by the spirit it is the spirit that baptizes us into the body that joins us to Christ it is this wonderful mystical action of the spirit. [00:26:16]

This is the great thing in Salvation we are not only Justified we are not only forgiven in a sense as I said at the beginning the most glorious aspect of Salvation is this that I am in Christ and Christ is in me this Union and we must never fail to realize that I therefore venture to say once more is it anything but a tragedy that preoccupation with modes and forms of baptism as we read these two verses should have blinded us to that greater truth. [00:31:00]

The Apostle is not dealing with experience at this point he comes on to that later what he's dealing with here is something that has happened to us something that is true of us it is the action of the Holy Spirit upon us we may not be aware of it as we ought to be the Apostle clearly is suggesting that there were certain Christians in Rome who are not clear about this as they should be as I'm indicating there are still people like that today. [00:39:19]

There are only two positions we are either everyone of us in Adam or else we are in Christ there is no middle position you can't be a saved Man without being joined to Christ without being in Christ there is no middle position there is no sort of beginning and then you go on to something else all of us every one of us so many of us have in this way been baptized into Christ. [00:40:00]

We are not baptized into parts of him or aspects of the truth concerning him we are the baptized into Jesus Christ the whole of him Paul puts that in writing the first epistle to the Corinthians 1:3 in this way but of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and Redemption. [00:42:51]

If you're in him all that is true of him is true of you you'll realize it progressively but it's true now it's the guarantee of your final complete Redemption of your being delivered of every spot or wrinkle or any such thing Christ is my sanctification now if I die at this moment I am Sanctified in him as I'm justified in him as I'm glor he is all this to me I am baptized into Jesus Christ. [00:44:00]

All that is in Christ Christ and true of him in his relationship to redeem is mine because I'm in him and all that he has done and has accomplished becomes mine as all that Adam did and accomplished became mine that's the doctrine we've worked it out in detail at Great length from chapter 5: 10 until this moment and the apostles going on with it and you see it's vital to what falls it is because I am in Christ that I'm in his death in his resurrection in his life in everything. [00:45:00]

If we haven't grasped this we must find everything else difficult but if you've got this key well the rest follows as the night the day inevitably and really shouldn't detain us at much length well God willing we'll go out we'll go on next Friday evening to work out the way the Apostle deduces things from this primary central fundamental statement. [00:46:00]